Acceptance
by Swift Winds
Summary: A young mutant is taken from a place where she is not wanted to a place where she is wanted. She is there to learn more about her abilites, but she will also learn a lot more, about friendship, love, and acceptance. KurtOC Please, RR!
1. Default Chapter

Acceptance  
  
Written By: Swift Winds  
  
Disclaimer: Like the remote, X-Men Evolution too, is not mine. All I have are a bunch of comics, but they're cool ones :D Anyway, yeah, this has an original character, just to let you know, so please no flames about her being a "Mary Sue". I'm trying my best to give her a decent personality. Besides, she's not perfect. I am. (Just kidding!) Anyway, here it is. Enjoy!   
  
A teenaged girl with dark brown eyes quietly sat down at the top of the stairs, silently listening to the conversation being held in the living room below. A bald man with dark eyes sitting in a wheelchair and a beautiful tall black woman with snow-white hair were speaking with her aunt. The girl had been watching them as soon as they entered the house. Her curiosity was the cause of her sneaking out of her room in the first place, since she wasn't supposed to be there. She wanted to know why the two people had come all the way to Montana from New York, especially to a small house fifty miles from the nearest city. A small part of her was hopeful, because this might be her window of opportunity; her chance to get out of the harsh establishment she had been reluctantly placed in four months ago.   
  
She craned her neck a little bit further, in order to hear what the man in the wheelchair was saying. He spoke clearly and precisely, as if he knew she was there and wanted her to be able to hear him. She told herself that was impossible, but she still had to wonder. Did that man really know she was here? He hadn't looked in her direction at all since she had sat down, yet when she did, he spoke a little louder, but not enough for her aunt to notice.   
  
"As I said before, Kirsten would be well taken care of, and she would be well provided for."   
  
Bridget Mackay looked up from the fingernails she had been studying and looked directly at the man. Her eyes were the same shade as Kirsten's, almost black, but unlike Kirsten's, hers were cold, unfeeling. "So if you take her in, you won't be expecting any money or anything will ya? Cause I'm not paying for no private school for her, no sir. Too damned expensive."   
  
"I assure you," the man replied, "That you will not be held financially responsible for Kirsten."   
  
Professor Charles Xavier didn't have to probe this woman's mind to see the immediate dislike and resentment she felt toward her niece. He knew from what he had gathered with Cerebro that Kirsten Mackay had come into her care four months ago after an accident had claimed the lives of her parents in her native Scotland. Her father's sister was her only surviving relative, so she had to leave her native country and move to America. When she arrived, she was met with resentment from her aunt, who wanted nothing to do with her brother's child, and by students who immediately disliked the shy girl with the thick accent.   
  
He felt a wave of sympathy for the girl. How awful it must be to live in a house where you're not wanted. He hated to think of what her school life had been before she had gotten expelled. He knew that kids could be cruel.   
  
It was wonder to him why he sensed her apprehension when he mentioned his institute. Judging by the reaction, she was not easily accepted amongst her peers here. Yet he also sensed hope, for a chance to start anew. He would give her that chance. That was why he was here.   
  
"So you say this is an institute for gifted youngsters?" Bridget continued, bringing Charles out of his reverie, "I don't know if you'd want Kirsten then. She ain't gifted, she's just a trouble maker. The school board has expelled her for arson. She apparently set fire to the gym, causing that and the arts annex to burn to the ground."  
  
'That's not true!' Kirsten protested silently from her place on the top stair. 'That wasn't me! Jenkins, Smith, and Turner were the ones that set fire to the place! I was just there working on an art assignment."   
  
Just because she had accidentally caused a fire in her science lab (when there was no fire to begin with, no less) that to this day she could not explain, her aunt thought of her as a juvenile arsonist. That, and when fires sprouted up around her unexplained were the reasons to blame. The school had spent more money on fire extinguishers than any other place in the county.   
  
"The fire was bound to happen," her aunt remarked, "You wouldn't believe the numbers of times I've caught that girl playing with fire. She once even started a fire in her science lab." she sighed, then continued, "I'd say it's a cry for help, but frankly, I'm not up to dealing with this sort of situation."   
  
'Or it's because you don't care,' Charles thought, knowing full well that was the case. He could sense the girls indignation, as well as her hesitancy to speak up in her own defense. That probably did her no good in the past, so why would that change now?   
  
Charles decided that it would be better to just agree with the woman. "Yes, and that is why we are here. To help Kirsten."   
  
Kirsten had just been at the wrong place at the wrong time, and as a result, she was expelled. She had been out of school for a week when the two visitors arrived.   
  
She jumped slightly when the woman seated across from her aunt turned her head, looked directly at her, and smiled. Shyly, she returned the gesture, then quickly got up and snuck back into her room. She really wasn't supposed to be there in the first place, and she didn't want to get in any more trouble than she already was in.   
  
She leapt on the bed and picked up the magazine that she had abandoned earlier, and quickly began to skim over an article that she had already read, something about some young actor in a movie about elves and rings, anxiously awaiting the arrival of any confirmation as to her being able to live in the institute the man had mentioned.   
  
A few minutes later, her aunt's harsh voice reverberated up the stairwell in an all too familiar way. "Kirsten, get your skinny ass down here now!"   
  
Quickly, Kirsten tossed aside the magazine and scrambled off of her bed, racing down the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her. She stopped a few feet short of the guests, and looked at her aunt questioningly. Her aunt immediately began speaking, as she firmly believed that teenagers should speak only when spoken to.   
  
"Pack your things, you're leaving," Bridget informed her bluntly. "Starting today, you're no longer living in my house. You're gonna be living in New York now."  
  
Kirsten could hardly believe her ears. She was leaving! She had no idea where she was going, but anywhere was better than where she was currently. Never again would she have to suffer at the hands of her peers, and she would never again have to deal with her aunt. That was worth almost any price as far as she was concerned.   
  
Timidly, she turned and looked at the man, who smiled reassuringly and nodded. "Yes Kirsten. You will be going with us. My name is Professor Charles Xavier, and this is Ororo Munroe."   
  
"Um, hello." Kirsten replied shyly.   
  
"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you Kirsten," Ororo replied, "You need only pack what you'll need for a few days, the rest will be shipped later on. At no cost to your aunt," she added as an afterthought. Bridget nodded in reply.   
  
"All right," Kirsten responded. She stood there silently, allowing everything to sink in.   
  
"Well, hurry up!" her aunt snapped. "They're waiting for you."   
  
Kirsten quietly obeyed. Hurriedly, she sprinted up the stairs back up to her room and began to tear it apart, packing everything into a suitcase as fast as she could with as many clothes as she could stuff into it. She paused for a moment, and reached over toward her night stand and pulled down a picture of her mother, father, and herself as a toddler. Carefully, she placed the picture into the suitcase and covered it with a soft shirt. She then tossed in a few more items, closed the suitcase, and after a few moments struggling, zipped it shut. She pulled it off of her bed, and drug it down the stairs.   
  
She came back into the living room, where she said goodbye to her aunt. She then took her suitcase and followed Ororo and the Professor out to a black vehicle. Once she was situated in the backseat and her suitcase was in the trunk, they pulled out, and headed toward the airport.   
  
As they went down the long dirt road that ran toward the main highway, Kirsten never once looked back. 


	2. Part Two

Acceptance   
  
Part Two  
  
Written By: Swift Winds  
  
Disclaimer: The remote is mine!!! Ha ha ha!!! I got it, fair and square!!! But X-Men Evolution isn't. Please don't sue me, you wouldn't get anything anyway. Except maybe the remote. But that'd be it. Yeah.   
  
"Kirsten, I would like to introduce you to your new home," Professor Xavier said as he wheeled into the Institute, followed by Kirsten, and lastly, Ororo.   
  
Kirsten stood a few feet in front of the main doors in the foyer, her suitcase lying on the ground beside her. Her gaze swept around the room, her eyes wide open in awe. She absently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and turned toward the professor, a large grin on her face.   
  
:So, what do you think?: Professor Xavier asked, returning the smile.   
  
"It's beautiful," Kirsten replied aloud.   
  
She had experienced the professor's telepathy earlier in the car on the way home from the airport. At first she had been surprised, but she had quickly become accustomed with this form of communication as the professor had used it to explain both his and Ororo's unique abilities. He had also explained the term for people like them. Mutants.   
  
"From what I have been able to gather Kirsten, you are a pyrotic." The Professor had explained. At Kirsten's blank look, he continued, "You have the ability to summon and control flame."   
  
"I don't know about the 'control' part," Kirsten replied dully, directing her gaze out the window. "But that does explain all of those fires."   
  
"That is precisely why you are here." The Professor gestured toward Ororo and himself, "We are going to help you learn to control your abilities. There are others your age at the Institute, who are also learning to control their own personal gifts. Eventually, you will be able to control the flames and use them to your advantage, and even for the greater good."  
  
Kirsten smiled softly and nodded. She would like to be able to control her abilities, especially now that she knew what exactly they were. It was a relief to know that she wasn't some sort of walking disaster magnet. She was also relieved to know that she could control the fires, so that nothing extremely disastrous could happen.   
  
Kirsten was brought out of her reverie by the Professor's voice, "Ororo's going to show you to your room, and when you're done unpacking, I'd like you to come back here so that someone can get you to town to register for the high school."   
  
"All right," Kirsten replied.   
  
She reached down and picked up her suitcase, and looked at Ororo. Ororo smiled and gestured toward the grand staircase leading upstairs.   
  
"If you would follow me please."  
  
Kirsten followed the tall woman up the stairs and down a hallway. A part of her wished that she could look like that, tall and beautiful, but she knew that was impossible since she was only five feet tall in her stocking feet. And nobody had ever called her beautiful.   
  
"This is to be your room," Ororo said, pushing open the door and stepping back to let Kirsten enter.   
  
Kirsten's eyes widened for the second time since entering the mansion. "This is my room? All to myself?"   
  
"Yes, all to yourself," Ororo replied, amused by her reaction.   
  
"Wow."   
  
"I'm glad you like it," Ororo said. "I'll meet you back downstairs in the foyer when you're ready."   
  
"Okay," Kirsten replied.   
  
Ororo smiled and closed the door. Kirsten walked over to the bed and set her suitcase down on top of the pale yellow comforter. She turned around and gazed at her bedroom, amazed at the size of it. She had never had such a big room, not even back when she lived in Scotland. The room was pretty plain, for it had nothing in it to give it a personalized touch. Kirsten was already mentally placing objects around the room, posters and knickknacks that she would have in a few days.   
  
Besides the bed, there was a vanity on one wall with a matching seat. There was a large closet, and a bureau next to it. A large desk was set across from the bed. Next to the bed was a small night stand with an alarm clock and lamp. A large bay window with a window seat led to a view of gardens. Kirsten stood at the window, and gazed out at the gardens. She made a mental note to go exploring that later. She then turned around and looked at her suitcase, remembering what she had to do in the first place. She unzipped the suitcase, and lifted the lid. She began to pull out clothing, and placing them into drawers in the bureau, and some into the closet. When she reached the picture, she carefully set it aside on the bed. When she was finished, she took the picture, and put it on the night stand next to her bed.   
  
  
  
Ororo was waiting downstairs with a young girl with her brown hair placed in a high ponytail when Kirsten arrived. They had been chatting about the weather outside, but both stopped and looked at Kirsten as she approached. Ororo gestured toward the girl and introduced her to Kirsten.   
  
"Kirsten, I would like you to meet Kitty Pryde." She then turned toward Kitty, "Kitty, this is our newest addition to the household, Kirsten Mackay."   
  
"Hi!" Kitty chirped, a huge megawatt smile on her face. "Welcome to the Institute."   
  
Kirsten couldn't help but admire this girl's extroverted friendliness as she replied with a small smile of her own, "Thanks."  
  
"No prob!" Kitty replied, "Me and Ororo are gonna be taking you into Bayville right now so that you can get registered. Once you get your schedule, I'll show you where your classes are, so you can at least get a general idea."   
  
"Thanks," Kirsten smiled gratefully, "I really appreciate that."   
  
"You're welcome," was Kitty's response. "Hey, what grade are you in?" she asked curiously.   
  
"Sophomore."   
  
"Hey cool! I'm a freshman. So that makes you, like, fifteen or sixteen, right?"  
  
"Fifteen."   
  
"I hate to interrupt your conversation girls," Ororo interjected, "But we really must get going. The school isn't going to be open for much longer. You can continue this in the car, all right?"   
  
"Oops!" Kitty grinned sheepishly, turning toward the older woman, "Sorry."   
  
"It's all right. Now, c'mon, we really do have to get going."   
  
Both girls followed the older woman out the door and into a SUV type vehicle, Kitty taking the backseat, and Kirsten taking the front passenger seat, turning around in her seat to talk to Kitty. In the car, they continued the conversation, telling each other a bit about their backgrounds. Kitty told Kirsten a lot, about the other students at the Institute, and about herself. At the Professor's request though, she left out everything about the X-Men.  
  
"The two oldest ones are Scott and Jean, who are also, the most frustrating couple on the face of the planet. They like each other, but neither one is willing to admit it. So they just pretty much dance around in circles in the relationship department." Kitty made a face, causing Kirsten to smile. She grinned back, then continued, "Yeah, um, Scott's powers are like, these force beams that shoot from his eyes. He can't control them so he has to wear red glasses or a visor at all times. A lot of kids think that he's just stuck up, but he's really not. And Jean's a telekinetic and a telepathic, though she's not as powerful as the Prof. She's real nice, I think you'll like her.  
  
"Next I guess would be Rogue. She's pretty cool, once you get to know her. At first she seems to be all cold and stuff, but she's really not that bad. Watch out for her skin though. If she touches you, she zaps your powers for a bit and knocks you unconscious, so she can't touch anybody. She has to cover up her skin all the time."   
  
"That must be hard," Kirsten mused.   
  
"I'd say so," Kitty nodded. "Um, Kurt would be the next one. He's pretty cool, although a little weird sometimes. Don't let his appearance fool you though, he's really a sweetheart."   
  
"What do you mean?" Kirsten asked.   
  
"Well for starters," Kitty answered, "He's blue. And fuzzy. And he's got a tail and pointed ears. But he's got this image inducer thingy that makes him look like the rest of us, since most people would freak if they saw him normally. He's really acrobatic, and he can teleport, but if you're downwind of him when he teleports, the smoke he leaves behind really smells." Kitty wrinkled her nose.   
  
"Another student we have is Evan, Ororo's nephew. He's pretty cool. He can produce these spikes from his body, and use them as a weapon or projectiles. But it also leaves his clothes all torn up. I think he must go through a lot of money buying or repairing his clothing."   
  
Ororo smiled as she replied, "His family does, yes."   
  
Kirsten returned Ororo's smile, then turned around to look at Kitty again. "So what's your ability, Kitty?"   
  
"I can phase through walls and stuff," Kitty replied, "To put it simply, I can pretty much walk through anything." To prove her point, she phased her arm through the backseat and pulled it back out.   
  
"Wow, that's cool," Kirsten commented.   
  
"What can you do?" Now it was Kitty's turn to ask.   
  
Kirsten opened her hand, palm side facing up. A small flame flickered to life, then flared up about six inches.  
  
"I can manipulate flame," Kirsten replied. "I just found out about this recently. I can start a fire just by thinking about it. Sometimes they start even when I don't want them too though." She frowned, as she recalled the memory of the fire in her science class. She had been mesmerized by the fire. While everyone else in the class had panicked while the teacher struggled with the fire extinguisher, she had just sat there, gazing into the flames. After the teacher had extinguished the fire, the other students had all treated Kirsten more coldly than before, since she hadn't reacted toward the fire like the others had.   
  
"Cool." Kitty grinned, bringing Kirsten back to reality, "So you aren't affected by heat, huh?"   
  
Kirsten smiled. "Now that you mention it, no, I'm not." She had never thought about that before, but it was true. In the summer, when others sat complaining about the heat, she felt comfortable. Warm, but not too hot. The thought had never crossed her mind.   
  
Kirsten listened as Kitty continued chatting, telling her about the high school. She stared out the window, and smiled. Things were starting to look up, a little voice said inside her head.   
  
They were looking up indeed. 


End file.
